"It gets driven hard and it gets driven often"—these might not be statements you typically expect to hear from the owner of a 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing but it's hard not to smile when you do.

The latest installment of Depth of Speed examines one man who clearly gets the point of parting with a large chunk of cash to purchase a magnificent vintage vehicle like this Mercedes. After thirty years spent dreaming of having a 1955 300 SL in the garage, when this nameless Gullwing owner finally got one he wisely decided to make the most of it.

We've always been proponents and practitioners of using old cars for what they are intended for, but we don't own Gullwing class vehicles-or anything close to it. Listening to someone who does and still has no issue racking up the miles is simply awesome.

It's particularly amusing to hear the story of how the guardian of this vintage Mercedes and his wife are referred to as the "crazy Californians" by fellow Gullwing enthusiasts because of their choice to actually drive their car to events. We'd say the people who own these cars and choose not to enjoy them in the manner seen here are the truly crazy ones.